These 20 natural and inexpensive DIY ideas are super fine ways to deodorize the home.
1. Use Vinegar as Air Freshener
You can make an air freshener by mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and water; spray the mixture in the rooms to eliminate any odor. Another way is to place a bowl of vinegar in the different room corners and leave it there for a while. Visit Lifehacker to see more of it!
2. Coffee Beans
Place a jar of coffee beans in the rooms of your home or office to filter and absorb any bad odor. You can as well, just brew a cup of coffee and leave it in an open pot in the kitchen to help give that antifungal coffee aroma to that area.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda absorbs bad smells- unlike some solutions that mask the smells. Sprinkle some baking soda or water and baking soda paste on all the problem areas such as the toilet, sink or shoe closet, to eliminate the stinking smells. Here’s a detailed post on it!
4. Green Tea
After you have brewed your green tea, you can recycle the leaves and use them to absorb stinky smells in your house. All you need to do is dry them out or if you have the tea bags, use the dry tea, place them in strategic areas. See the “how to” article here!
5. Citrus Peels
Citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, limes) have freshening tendencies and they can be used to get rid of unpleasant odors in the house while at the same time leaving a fresh feel. Put some lemon/orange peels into areas that need to be deodorized like your fridge or trash cans or areas that are mostly exposed to cigarette and smoke smells. Take a look at this post to learn more about this.
6. Cinnamon Sticks
One of the best natural ways to eliminate bad odor! Cinnamon is one of the spices that have a pleasant, homely smell. Boil a few sticks of cinnamon and let the mixture sit out in your rooms to eliminate the foul smell and give your house a warm, pleasant smell. See the DIY here!
7. Tea-Tree Oil
To remove unpleasant smells and achieve a fresh feel, add a few drops of tea-tree oil to your air filters before replacing them. You can also mix a few drops of tea-tree oil with water, a little bit of cheap vodka and clove leaves to make a customized air freshener.
8. Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are an easy way to remove unpleasant smells from a house. Put the dryer sheets at the back of a fan while it’s on to spread out the fresh smell or place coffee beans on top of them and leave them on an open surface overnight. Here’s more of it in detail!
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
Use hydrogen peroxide to make your own air freshener to eliminate any kind of odor; this spray will leave no scent behind. Mix the ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide with a full cup of water, mix into a spray bottle and spray on affected odor areas. The DIY article with instructions is available here!
10. Cheap Vodka
Cheap vodka is one of the most natural ways to remove stinking smells from the house- the cheaper, the better. Put some vodka in a spray bottle and spray on furniture and in the air, once it dries up, all the foul smell will be eliminated leaving your house smelling clean and fresh. Learn more here!
11. Apple Cider Vinegar
You can also use Apple Cider Vinegar to remove foul odors from your house. Simmer some of it in a sauce pan for like an hour or so, alternatively, you can place open bowls or cups of apple cider vinegar in every room in the house. For the smelly kitchen drains, pour a cup of it down the drains to eliminate the smell.
12. Vanilla Extract
The fragrance of vanilla can fill your house with a heavenly smell. Pour some vanilla extract into an oven-safe coffee mug, put it into the oven at around 300 degrees for one hour then open the windows to let in some neutralizing air. Visit Wikihow to see more of this!
13. Onions
Onions are actually associated with household odors, but they can be used for the exact opposite; as odor absorbers. Cut an onion in half use one-half or both and leave it overnight. All the bad smell will be neutralized with no trace of onion smell left. Visit Lifehacker to see more!
14. Using House Plants and Fresh Flowers
Grow more houseplants and place them in every room. They’ll clean and purify the air and absorb the smell too. Take a look at these 14 houseplants you can grow for a restful sleep.
15. Charcoal Air Fresheners
You can use left-over charcoal after grilling as odor absorbers or purchase already activated charcoal to absorb odors from your house. Place these pouches anywhere that smells, and you will notice the antibacterial disappearing. Learn more here!
16. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil contains some anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and therefore works as a good deodorizing agent. Place a few branches in the areas that are smelly, and the area will be fresh in no time.
17. Salt
This is a cheap and non-toxic way of getting rid of the odor. Mix half a cup of salt with a liter of hot water and pour it down in your garbage disposals, sinks, and drainages. See more of it here!
18. Light Scented Candles Around the House
Purchase candles of your favorite scent and light them up around the house. The aroma from the candles will remove any unwanted smell, and the bonus- you will be exposed to aromatherapy.
19. Use Disinfectants When Cleaning
When cleaning the rooms, mix your water with disinfectants and clean all the problem areas. The disinfectants will kill the bacteria on the floor that cause reeking odor and leave it smelling fresh.
20. Aerate your House
Open all the windows in the morning to let the fresh air in to provide ventilation. Also, leave the windows open whenever possible.